The Dragon and The Fox
by Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint
Summary: One simple text and you end up in the most embarrassing situation you could possibly find in. Of course Im talking about school plays. Thank you MysteryGirl7Freak for co authoring and PrismRain13 for permission to write this.


**Disclaimer I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney or Square enix please support their official releases. The character Kyra are owned by the author MysteryGirl7Freak and the Reconnected Storyline and its characters such as West and Lydia belong to Prismrain13 please read both their works.**

 **This a sequel to my one-shot Inheritance.**

The Warthog and The Turtle

Falcon Gummi Pod

After meeting Golbez in the Enchanted Domain, Kyra and Dragon were using their small, grey Gummi Pod to make their way back to the Falcon.

Kyra, an eighteen-year-old girl dressed in a dark red, sleeveless cloak that went down to her knees; black boots that reached mid-calf; coffee colored jeans; an indigo, puffy, long sleeved shirt; and a small, sun-shaped necklace, was at the controls. She also had long, black hair with one red highlight at the side of her face and amethyst eyes, which were watching the vast space as she steered.

Next to her was the young man that started this mini mission in the first place. Dragon, an eighteen-year-old guy with light brown hair that was slightly spiked sat restlessly. He was dressed in a black and green long-sleeved jacket, black fingerless gloves and pants, a grey shirt with a yellow dragon on it, green and yellow sneakers, and a yellow belt with two loose straps with a Samurai sword hanging from his belt. He was checking over his wounds from his fight with Golbez.

Thankfully, the potions Kyra had given him had taken effect and healed his body quite well.

"I don't know why you're so focused on your injuries. The potions wouldn't leave any scarring," She quipped to the young samurai.

Dragon slumped in his chair. "It wasn't the injuries that worried me. It's the man who gave them to me."

Kyra, still focused on the navigation, tightened her grip on the wheel. "You're still worried about Golbez, aren't you?"

Dragon nodded, staring distantly into space. "Seeing him again, it shook me."

Kyra bit her lip as memories of her brother, ones she struggled to keep buried, came into mind. "I know the feeling."

"Maybe I should have talked to him more? Maybe asked him which world he was going to. Maybe even invite him on the team," Dragon suggested.

Kyra shook her head. "I will admit he's a trained samurai and that Singing Paladin would have given us a good edge against Maleficent. However, the guy... he seemed damaged. I don't know exactly why, but I just felt this vibe he was hiding from something. Something he didn't want to face."

Kyra breathed out her nose. "I know he's your master, but I've seen guys who have had that type of personality and it often ends badly for the people working with them. Trust me, they are better off as a solo act." She answered, firmly.

Dragon didn't argue with Kyra. He may have lived with Golbez for three years, yet there were secret doors within that man that would take a lifetime to open. He still hoped he would see his master again one day. Despite the 7 years of neglect, Dragon could not find it in himself to hate the man. Even if it was all for a test preparation. After all, Golbez was the closest thing he ever had to a father and it isn't easy to hate a father, no matter how hard you try.

A vibrating noise came from Dragon's pocket. He took out his red mobile phone and opened it to see that Pence was calling.

"So, your phone can get and send messages to different worlds?" Kyra asked.

Dragon nodded. "Donald did it for me before we left Disney Town. The magic lets me get calls wherever I am. Does the same happen to you?" Dragon inquired.

Kyra nodded. "Lulu did that for me when I was helping Leon and the other resistance members. It was a long time ago, but I recognize the magic." She smiled fondly.

Dragon smiled back to her. He pressed the button and held up his phone to his ear. "Hello, Pence?" Dragon asked.

 _"Hey, Dragon. Wow, it's good to hear from you, buddy. How have you been? How's Sora? How's Kairi? How's..."_

"Pence, Pence." Dragon tried to calm his friend down. "Sorry man, you were going a bit overboard with the questions."

 _"Sorry Dragon, I'm just excited that one my friends is world traveling. Seifer may not have said anything but he was totally jealous."_

"Seifer was jealous? Jealous of me?" He asked, intrigued.

 _"Yeah, we told people you started to travel to new worlds to help Sora and the gang. Me, Hayner, and Olette haven't gone anywhere were we haven't been asked how you are. The town's proud of you, man."_

Dragon's face grew warm. For all the time he had spent living in Twilight Town, he was pretty much a hermit. He didn't know how to talk to people, didn't go out much and much of the time kept to himself. It never cross his mind that people were supporting him in such a manner. He felt a slight tingle in his heart.

That moment was soon dashed as Pence pressed on their conversation. " _By the way, dude. We need you to come back to Twilight Town."_

"Come back? Why?" Dragon asked.

 _"Well, after you guys left with the Ex-Nobodies, I took another crack at Ansem's computer. It turns out he had stolen a file from the Organization. I don't know exactly what it is but if it had something to do with those creeps then maybe it could help you guys. You could learn some more of their secrets,"_ Pence suggested.

"Say no more. Thanks, Pence. Me and Kyra will plot a course there. See you soon, man, and thanks." Dragon deactivated his phone. "Kyra, we need to plot a course to…"

"I know, I know. Twilight Town." She huffed. "You know, you could have asked him to email the file to the Falcon or to Tron."

"I... ehhh..." Dragon stammered.

Kyra sighed heavily. "You're lucky I need to get some more potions for the team."

She pressed the navigation button and set in a course for Twilight Town.

Twilight Town

It didn't take Dragon and Kyra long to reach Twilight Town. Kyra had their pod stashed within the forest next to the secret mansion. Out of view from the public eye.

Dragon and Kyra exited from the Twilight Forest and soon entered the Tram Commons. Dragon smiled as he looked around the place. The different market stalls, the wide area for the tram to move, the secret place to break dustbins. One may have found it common but for him this was the best qualities of his childhood home.

"Hey, stop day dreaming," Kyra said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "You find Pence and I will buy some potions." She didn't mind Dragon seeing his old home. It was the simple fact that they have strayed so much from the Falcon it made her feel an uneasiness that they were failing the primary mission.

Dragon nodded with a sigh. "Sorry Kyra." Dragon was about to make his way to the Usual Spot, but he noticed a small child putting some posters up on the common's walls.

Dragon moved closer, getting a better look at the young boy. His blue long jacket had been replaced by a white school jacket of the same size with a logo on the left shoulder and his usual vanilla zipped wizard hat was replaced by some black squared teacher's hat but Dragon could always tell that kid from anywhere.

"Vivi?" The young samurai asked.

The young mage turned around, yellow eyes wide with shock. "Dragon? Dragon, is that you?"

Dragon smiled as he and Kyra ran up to the Black Mage. "Vivi!" Dragon held his hand out for a high five as the young mage was more than happy to return it.

Kyra found this slightly strange. Last time she was in Twilight Town, she could have sworn that Black Mage was part of Seifer's crew. Why did Dragon allow himself to be so chummy with this kid?

Kyra wasn't really bothered with the question. This Vivi didn't seem like he would cause any harm. If anything, he seemed quite a gentle creature. Makes her wonder why he hang around with someone like Seifer.

Vivi went back to gluing the poster on the wall. "It's great to see you, Dragon. I would love to catch up, but I need to get back to work."

Dragon understood, but he did a double take on Vivi's change of appearance. "So I guess school's back on?" He asked.

Vivi nodded. "Yeah. It's been a strange couple of days." He answered as he finished with the poster. "Hayner and Seifer are bickering more than ever. Rai, Fuu, and Seifer are dealing with final exams' and we have to put on our annual, first-term school play."

Dragon's interest peeked. "The play's on today?" Dragon turned to look at the poster. "The Warthog and the Turtle?"

"Yep," Vivi confirmed. "The Librarian found it. It's some romance novel from a world called… What's was it called again?" Vivi was clicking his fingers as the answer hit him. "Oh yeah, Prydain."

"What's it about?" Dragon asked.

"Dragon, we don't have time for this," Kyra reminded him bluntly.

Dragon looked over his shoulder at the young archer. "Oh right, sorry, Kyra." He turned back to Vivi. "You know where I can find Pence, Vis?"

Vivi pointed to the entrance that was leading to the Sandlot. "He's with Seifer and the rest of the gang rehearsing the play. If he's anywhere, he's there."

Dragon nodded. "Thanks, Vis." Vivi giggled as the young samurai gently ruffled the Black Mage's head.

Sandlot

The moment the two travelers arrived in the Sandlot, they were met with noise and wood work.

In the center of the Sandlot, a wooden stage had been built. It wasn't anything big, just a wooden floor with a painted blanket cover hanging by two separate flag poles which had been stationed at the end of the porch to create a back cover.

Costumes were being made, decorations were being designed with the upmost care, and painters were at work. Kyra didn't really have time to care about it. All she wanted was to find Pence and get back to the Falcon.

She and Dragon were having a hard time finding Pence through all the chaos. Soon, however, Kyra spotted a work bench where the three teenagers were sitting.

She nudged Dragon, getting his attention. She pointed them out to him.

Olette was wearing a sailor-styled, school uniform that had a red scarf and a blue/yellow checkered skirt. She was reading the play from her makeshift desk

Hayner, on the other hand, was wearing prop armor. His main armor was bronze, and the leather was purple along with an eye patch on his right eye with an additional sword attached onto his belt.

Pence, like Hayner, was in costume. He was dressed in a grey priest's uniform with a weaved, summer hat on his head.

Hayner was looking over the script, frowning. "Still can't believe you vouched for this play," he bereted Olette in a deadpan voice.

Olette rolled eyes. "Hayner, it's a romance novel. Geez, could you just be a bit open minded?" She asked the blond.

Hayner scoffed. "Oh yeah, open minded. Olette, I don't know if you realize this, but I'm wearing TIGHTS!" He yelled at the young brunette, gesturing to his pants wear. "If being open minded leads to this, then stuff it." Hayner crossed his arms, displeased.

"Well, you guys still haven't changed." The three teens turned around to see Dragon and Kyra walking over to Olette's desk.

"Dragon!" Pence and Hayner cheered as Hayner rushed over and put the young samurai in a head lock.

Hayner soon released Dragon and shook his hand. Pence rushed up to him. "I can't believe you got here so quickly!" Pence said.

He examined Kyra. "But where's the rest of the team?" He asked.

Kyra decided to fill him in. "We traveled together until we stopped at the king's home world. Split into two separate teams. Dragon and I took a pod to come here so that's why you only have us two."

Hayner rubbed the back of his head. "We really need to phone Sora one of these days for a catch up."

"Speaking of Sora…"

Pence was cut off by Kyra. "Look, no offense to you guys, but we need that file you found. Xehanort has more members joining him by the day and we need to get back to the mission." She put her hand forward for Pence to put the disk in her hand.

Olette sighed. "I was hoping Dragon at least could have stayed a bit longer."

Dragon wrinkled his eyebrows. "Why, Olette? Has something happened?" He walked up to the young brunette. He may have been gone for a mouth, but these were still his friends. He couldn't leave them knowing they were in a tight spot. The worry he would have for them would keep him up at night.

Olette sighed as she slumped on her chair. "We're missing our lead roles for King Sora and Lady Martha."

"Wait? Did you say King Sora?" Kyra questioned in disbelief.

Hayner chuckled. "That's what we all thought when we heard it."

Pence agreed. "Yeah, turns out on that world there was a guy called Sora Llyr." Pence held up the original book. "Turns out that world made a romance play about him. It's so cool cause a part from the fact he shares a name with our Sora, turns out he was illegitimate, but his kid brother died so their dad made him his heir and the lady Martha was his dad's-"

"Kid, your rambling," Kyra interrupted.

Pence calmed himself down. "Sorry, sorry. It's just a mix of political intrigue, unlikely romance, and drama. It's like a dream come true," Pence replied dreamily, hugging the book to his chest.

Hayner's eyes rolled. "I need to find him a girlfriend."

"So you don't have leads?" Dragon asked, bringing the subject back into focus. "How can I help?"

Olette stood up from her desk. "Well... you and Kyra could take them on."

Kyra felt her face burned, turning as red as a tomato. She shook her head vehemently. "No."

"But!" Olette pleaded.

"No is no," Kyra repeated, shaking her head. "Look, I know you're having problems with the play, but we have much bigger things to deal with. Besides, do you know how long it takes to rehearse for a play? Months, not five hours."

Dragon sighed, knowing that Kyra wasn't going to change her mind. "Is there anyone else you could have to play the leads?"

Olette shook her head sadly. "This term, a lot of students didn't apply for the play. The reason why our and Seifer's gangs were picked was because we … em, well, Hayner," Olette stumbled with her words.

Hayner blushed from embarrassment as he pick up the explanation. "Because me and Seifer had a struggle match in a cooking class."

"You what!" Dragon cried out.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!" Hayner defended, his hands in the air. "The jerk was stealing our ingredients, even eating some. It was a matter of honor and..."

Pence finished for him. "And they hit Mr. Coogan with both bats. He was so ticked that he put both gangs out to dry."

Kyra pressed two fingers to her forehead. "So, this play is a detention."

Pence nodded. "Both gangs together made up the numbers to put the production on. Problem is, we don't have enough people."

"Can't you guys simply double act?" Dragon asked.

Pence shrugged. "For the other roles, yeah, since they're super minor, but for the lead roles, they can only have one actor for the lead roles. According to our drama teacher, it's to create continuity of storytelling. I don't know. To be honest, she's a strange person."

Dragon rubbed his fingers onto his forehead. "Are you sure there isn't anyone else?" He asked.

Olette shook her head. "No. I can't play Lady Martha since I'm the director. Fuu can't play because she's the maid and, well, you know Fuu isn't exactly verbal. Rai is playing the King Sora's farther, Hayner is the bodyguard, Pence is the priest, and Vivi is looking after the special effects."

"What about Seifer?" Dragon wondered.

"Don't bother," Hayner sneered. "That loser hasn't done anything. No rehearsals, no contributions, nothing. The guy has been no help at all."

"Actually, it has been quite concerning," Pence added in. "Ever since you guys left, he hasn't been attending school and when he does a fight usually starts. He doesn't hang out with his crew as much. Even by Seifer standards, he's been weird."

 _"How come Vivi didn't mention it?"_ Dragon thought.

"Look," Hayner started, "If you guys don't help us, both gangs are going to be locked in full time detention."

Kyra shook her head. "I feel for you, but we don't have the time. We're on a life and death mission."

"But if you don't help us, we might as well be dead. Miss Sharna is a killer in detentions." Hayner gulped.

"The matter is closed," Kyra said firmly. She walked up to Pence. "The disk, please," She demanded.

Pence took the disc from his pocket and extended it the archer for her to take.

Until Hayner grabbed it out of his hand. "Nuh-uh." He waggled his finger, holding the disc up. "No play, no disc."

Kyra's eyes widened. "You can't be serious."

"When it comes to detention with Miss Sharna, you bet I'm serious," Hayner replied as he put the disc inside his shirt.

Kyra growled, a vein in her eye twitching, her hands balling into fists. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW STUPID YOU'RE BEING! THE WORLDS ARE IN DANGER AND ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS NOT GETTING DETENTION?! WE COULD ALL BE FACING BECOMING HEARTLESS AND FALLING INTO ENDLESS DARKNESS FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES!"

Hayner shrugged with ease. "So I would be a Heartless that didn't have detention."

Kyra would've pounce on Hayner and rip the disc out of his pocket right then and there if Dragon didn't caught her around the middle and lifted her off of the ground. So she was kicking and punching the air like Rusty when she held him above a bath tub. Dragon swung her around, away from Hayner and put her down. Kyra dusted herself off as Dragon turned back to the group. "So if we do the play we get the disc?"

"Yup," Olette answered.

"It's only on for tonight?" He questioned.

"It's only on for tonight," Pence confirmed.

Dragon clapped his hands together. "So I guess we're doing a play. Where do we go for costumes and scripts?"

Kyra gawked at the young samurai. "You got to be kidding."

Dragon shook his head. "No. Look, I know we don't have enough time to rehearse, but you told me you know how to act."

Kyra came out of her faze. "Yeah, for missions! Not for the stage!"

Dragon thought for a moment, searching for a better explanation. Then he found one. "How about you see this as a mission? To get the disc, we need to act. Granted, it's in a hurry, so we need to read our lines every five minutes and be able to improvise. If we don't, then we fail the mission and the universe."

Kyra glared at him, unamused. "That's the worse advice you can give anyone."

Olette stepped in to try to calm the situation. "Vivi will be behind the curtain. If you feel lost, then he can tell you the lines. Plus, I would give you directions on what to do. I can even make flash cards," Olette offered.

Kyra sighed as she rubbed her head. "I would rather be fighting a thousand heartless than be blackmailed by a teen." She really didn't want to do this. The play sounded corny like a cheap soap opera. Yet that disc... who knows what information it contained. For all she knew, it was the key to beating Xehanort. The man reasonable for everything.

She was very tempted to threaten Hayner with the dagger she keeps hidden in her sleeve, but he was Dragon's friend and it could escalade into a fight and that wouldn't help anyone.

As much as she hated it, Kyra knew what she had to do.

"Could I have a script, please?" She asked, sounding tired.

Olette hugged her. "Thank you!" She took Kyra by the hand. "Come on." She pointed to one of the buildings. "We need to get you and Dragon into your costumes. You're going to look so lovely in a dress."

Kyra followed Olette to her home feeling very defeated. "All right, a dress. Then I need to start learning my lines and… Wait! What dress?!"

Show Time

Five hours later and night time had covered the town of twilight. The Sandlot had been packed with benches for people to sit on, paper lanterns decorated the buildings and the stage, and Moggles were floating about selling hotdogs, popcorn, and other nice little treats.

Dragon, Hayner, Pence, Fuu, Rai and Vivi were waiting behind the makeshift curtain surrounded by other props that would be used for future scenes.

Dragon had changed into a black leather, sleeveless medieval tunic, with a blue shirt underneath it along with brown trousers and black boots.

Rai had dyed his hair grey and wore a grey, fake beard. He was wearing a chestnut shirt, a large red coat, black trousers and golden boots with a gold crown on his head.

Fuu was wearing a light blue sleeveless dress with a white sleeved dress underneath that dress and wore red slippers.

Dragon peaked outside the curtain. He gulped slightly at how many people had attended this play. Each bench was filled to the max.

"So, we all know what the plan is?" Hayner asked. "The people who are in the scene act, those who aren't change the props, and most of all, no laughing!" He warned.

The others nodded in agreement.

Pence looked toward Olette's house. "I wonder what's taking Kyra so long?" He wondered.

"Maybe she's still learning her lines, you know?" Rai offered.

"Late," Fuu answered.

Dragon put his hands up reassuringly. "Don't worry, guys. In the time I've known Kyra, she's proven to be reliable, whatever the situation. I'm pretty sure she is just looking over her lines and…why are you guys all gawking?" Each of the cast member's mouths just flung open, expect Vivi's who could only stare.

Vivi pointed to something behind Dragon.

Dragon turned around with confusion written on his face. Once he did, that expression turned into one of shock, amazement, and astonishment.

The long part of Kyra's hair that had been tied into a ponytail was positioned to flow down her left shoulder. The small ribbon holding the ponytail was colored a lovely navy blue. She wore a beautiful silver dress that was designed with a low-cut neckline, allowing her bare arms and a small part of her upper chest to be exposed. A silver tight bodice covered her lower chest and the rest of her body with a large ballroom skirt to cover her legs. Golden, silhouette crystals were patterned into her dress. She wore long, sliver ballroom gloves that reached up to her elbows. A thin, green chain with a fake diamond turtle attach adorned her neck. On her feet were a pair of emerald green slippers.

Dragon could only stand there. In the time he had known the archer she had shown herself to be such a tomboy. Seeing her like this, on the other hand, his mind couldn't compute what his eyes were telling his brain. Pretty was too much of a weak word. This girl was flat out beautiful.

"Wow," he breathed, stunned.

"What?" She asked with a slight blush.

"You look…"

"Like a doll," Kyra grumbled.

Dragon shook his head. "No…no," He said gently. He bit his lip, trying to think of the right word to say. "You look like a-"

"A princess," Vivi chipped up.

The black mage took the words right out of the young samurai's mouth.

This only made Kyra duck her face down, away from her fellow cast members. She didn't want any one of them to see how much of her face had turned red from blushing.

Hayner whistled as he put his arms behind his head. "I gotta bribe girls more often." This earned him a smack behind the head from Fuu.

Dragon ignored his friend's protests at Fuu. Instead, he just starred more at Kyra.

It was an odd sensation or maybe a normal one, he didn't know for sure. All he felt were butterflies in his stomach while looking at her. He felt like this before when he first talked to her, but he thought it was just nervousness of having a warrior talk to him. Now he had no idea how to compare this feeling. It was like seeing a remastered cover for an old favorite book or a meadow full of flowers after a long winter.

He would never tell this to Kyra in case she got the wrong idea or if she saw him bland, but seeing her in that dress made him feel like he was seeing a new side to her that he didn't notice before.

The struggle manger came out from behind the curtain. "Okay fellas, it's time."

Hayner patted Dragon on the back. "Our scene's first."

Dragon nodded to his friend but kept his eyes on the archer.

She was still covering her face from the blush. He went up to her and patted her arm to get her attention.

For a few seconds, the two teens could only stare at each other's' eyes. Dragon broke the silence with a smile. "Break a leg, Martha."

Kyra smirked. "Break a leg yourself, Sora." She quipped.

Dragon bowed to her, playfully.

Kyra curtsey back, holding back the urge to laugh.

The Stage (Scene 1)

The struggle manager came to the center of the stage swinging his bell up and down. "Here-y, here-y, gentle folk."

The crowd grew silent, giving their attention to the man on stage.

Olette made sure there would be a dark background any time the manager spoke since his part was to be the narrator. It would be a good way to change props while being able to not draw the audiences' attention to the changes.

"Our little story begins in the world of Prydain. A world born from magic and fantasy. Where dragons roam, trolls hunt, and fairies fill the sky with their wonder," The manager began.

"Throughout this world, we come to the west part of these lands. Here, we meet the newly appointed prince, Sora Llyr. Once upon a time, he was considered the disgrace of his family due to his illegitimacy. For his father, King Duncan Llyr the Fourth couldn't keep it in his pants." Some members of the crowd laughed at the joke while others seemed shocked or disgusted by it.

"Now, after the death of his younger brother, he must take on the terrible burden of ruling. Little does he know this burden will lead him to his one true love." Quickly turning left and right to make sure the props were ready, the struggle manager took his leave and walked off the stage.

Light slowly brighten the stage as Hayner and Dragon came running in through a makeshift garden. Painted flowers covered the stage as Hayner and Dragon traded blows with wooden swords.

"So, young prince, how does it feel not to be the runt of the litter anymore?" Hayner asked as he swung his sword.

"Oh Rodrick, my father never made me feel like that. Ever since he took me in, he has treated me no different than my dear brother," Dragon replied as he locked swords with Hayner.

"Yet it was your dear brother's death that paved a way for your ascension," Hayner quipped as he and Dragon unlocked their swords and jumped back from each other.

Dragon turned away from his friend, gloomily looking into the distance. "Please do not speak like that, Rodrick. Franz was a good person. Young, yes, but he loved me all the same. Protected me from the king's wife. His death, while it may have been a passageway for a better lifestyle, it should not have been built from such a tragedy."

Hayner sat down on a bench. "Tragedy or not, your father wanted you to be his successor for a long time now. He hated his wife. He didn't even console her after Prince Franz's death."

Dragon sighed as he sat down next to Hayner. "He was busy, Rodrick. He needed to find a new successor."

"He could have created a new one with the queen if he had not exiled her the moment their son died," Hayner reprimanded.

"I know my father only made me his heir to spite my stepmother. That knowledge hurts me more than I can say." Dragon stood up, his gaze directed to the audience. "I know what my father does in his spare time has given me more brothers and sisters than I know about."

"You were the lucky one in the litter," Hayner said.

Dragon shook his head. "I disagree. Becoming a king is just a vile joke my father orchestrated against my stepmother."

"That's a good way to think when you become king." Hayner slumped down on the stage floor with his hands behind his back. "Most of the time, the people who don't want this job are the best ones for it."

"Tell that to my father,'" Dragon retorted. "He was only crowned due to the death of his older sister. He didn't want to be king. He has shown that everyday of his reign. The drinking, the adultery, and so many other unspokeable deeds. He may not be a tyrant, but he has proven to be a sloth of a man."

Hayner stood up and put a reassuring hand on Dragon's shoulder. "Then don't follow his example. Evil Kings, Mad Queens, and Dark Princes. Prydain has had enough of these tribes going out and from its gates. It wants someone who is strong enough to bear the weight of the crown on their head."

Dragon grasped Hayner's hand, grateful. "Thank you. Rodrick. It's times like these I wish I was marrying you tomorrow instead of some stranger."

Hayner laughed. "My friend, the Lady Martha is a highly respectable woman throughout Prydain."

Dragon shrugged. "I know of her, but I have never met her. From what I've gather, she is no different than any other lady in our fair land."

Hayner crossed his arms. "Your father will not let you escape from this marriage."

Dragon rubbed his forehead, tiredly. "Alas, you are unfortunately correct, my dear brother in arms. I suppose it is the fate of the gods that I go swiftly into a lifelong contract as many of those who have come before me have done with an feign smile on my face. There is no escaping this written manuscript that will become my life."

Olette, sitting on her desk and wearing a headset, viewed the scene. "1,2, and…" The spot light closed as Hayner and Dragon took their leave from the stage. "Scene," She breathed with a sigh of relief.

Backstage

Once the two boys arrived from the back, Hayner let out a massive gush of air from his chest, as if he had been underwater for too long.

"Ugh, that was torture! Talking with all the fanciness. Yuck!" He exclaimed. "I need a drink. I think my gums are sore with all that Shakespearean, wannabe nonsense." He walked off to a nearby fountain.

Dragon just smiled at his friend. He was simply happy they got through the first scene.

"You did a good job." Dragon turned around to see Kyra behind him. Seeing her in that dress still gave him butterflies in his stomach.

"Um..." Dragon blushed, bashful.

"Though I think your character is dumb," She quipped.

"How come?" Dragon asked.

"Well let's see, he doesn't want to be king and he's going into a marriage with a woman he has never met before. If you ask me, he isn't thinking outside the box," Kyra chastised.

"Kyra, he's just a kid," Dragon replied as he slumped his back to the wall.

"I know but when I was his age, I would never let myself be so controlled. If I was him, I would look for a cousin who knew what they were doing and wanted the job. Approach my dad and slap him senseless until he mended his ways. I would live my life the way I wanted to live it, not as others wanted me to," Kyra huffed as she remembered moments of her past.

"Its not that simple, Kyra. We don't know these people or the choices they had to make. We may disagree with them, but we still don't know the bigger picture. No one is an open book," Dragon offered.

Kyra huffed angrily, shaking her head. "You sound like West."

"How?" Dragon asked.

"When she was defending Riku to everyone. She could change her voice from this chirpy, enthusiastic voice to this calm, teacher voice. She only used it when she was defending that guy and when I last saw her in Disney Town. It drove me nuts how easy she made it look to be that mature."

"So, your angry at me for not letting you get your own way?" Dragon laughed.

Kyra growled at the young samurai. "Noooo. Ugh, you really are an idiot, you know-"

"Kyra, it's your scene now," Vivi cut in.

Kyra just gritted her teeth. Then she calmed down and composed herself, straightening out her dress.

She made her way onto the stage, grumbling under her breath. Vivi came up next to Dragon. "What's bugging her?"

Dragon casually moved his hand around in a circular motion, acting nonchalant. "Her favorite character was killed off in the recent superhero movie. She's still pretty bummed out about it."

The stage (Scene 2)

The props had been exchanged for a pink Victorian table with a pink mirror standing on top of it. A stale, blue-colored chair had been placed underneath the table.

The struggle manager came out from the background to once again introduce the audience to the current scene.

"Now we come to the Lady Martha of the House Krew. The House Krew is a family born for banking a very rich house with a very rich prize. How will our fair lady handle her new venture to be queen? Let us find out."

The struggle manager went out of sight as the spot light returned to the stage. Kyra was sitting on the chair while Fuu was brushing her long hair.

"Oh Beatrice," Kyra moaned with a fake British, posh accent. "So many challenges a young woman myself has to take on."

"With respect, my lady, how does becoming a queen a challenge?" Fuu asked in a bored tone.

Olette grind her teeth. "For Pete's sake, Fuu, put some life into it!" She mumbled angrily.

"Well, you see, Beatrice, I am to marry a man borned as an illegitimate child of the king and his mistress. While he has good prospects, the courts won't let him forget what he is. With their jokes and scorn written in cheese and wine." Kyra sighed sadly as she left her chair.

"This will be my legacy; a bastard's wife who will be mother to future bastards." Kyra felt ill every time she had to say the B word.

Fuu offered some council. "Then pray tell, why has your father agreed to this marriage?"

"It's quite simple; he wants to be a king. Yet he will never be able to be one. Before he married my mother, he was to wed the Princess Alys. Yet the sickness took her and my father-in-law to be was made king. If he can't settle to be king then he will just have to settle with his children and future descents to be Kings and Queens," Kyra explained, her character giving a faraway look.

"It's surprising King Duncan allowed a marriage between you and his son. From what I've heard, Lord Krew was trying to get you to marry to his legitimate son, the late Prince Franz. Why accept this marriage and not the previous request?" Fuu asked, still in a bored tone which was killing Olette inside.

"Money," Kyra answered, turning to the audience. "King Duncan knows the court would never see Sora Llyr as their true king. By selling me off to his son, King Duncan would have the money for his son to use to protect himself from any would be usurpers. Castles, servants, armies all cost quite the penny and the king knows that. "

"Though I see in the future the king will forget this plan for his son and spend this money on his own selfish desires," Kyra mused.

Before either of the actresses could react, a large thumping noise thundered the wooden stage. Rai came out from behind the curtains, holding an empty, vodka bottle.

Kyra and Fuu both gasped before they quickly bowed in front of the young man who was playing King Duncan Llyr the fourth.

"So.." Rai grunted as he took a fake sip from the bottle, "This is what I should expect from my future daughter-in-law. Bad mouthing me behind my back." He took another fake sip. "Is disrespect the language House Krew speaks to a king?"

"Oh no, my Lord, I-" Kyra pleaded.

"It's 'Your Highness', you silly girl, ya know," Rai berated to Kyra.

Olette rubbed her eyes. "Rai, keep in character."

"You're just like your father!" Rai shouted as he took another fake sip. "You're just like that harpy of a wife! You all want to rule the damn world. So, you find idiots like my son to marry."

Kyra's expression was that of confusion. "With all due respect, Your Highness, it was you who allowed the marriage between me and your-"

"DO NOT INTERUPT ME!" Rai roared at Kyra. Kyra flinched and bowed her head as Rai took more fake sips from his bottle. "I've grown tired of waiting for you and my son to be married. The dowry I'll receive will be worth it just to give that smug git of your father a royal-blooded grandchild."

Kyra blushed, looking up as she touched her belly. "Your Highness, I'm not even married yet. I do not believe it is the right time to talk about children."

"Don't be dumb, girl," Rai interrupted. "That's all these things are for. Children and money. Anything to make sure your family heritage doesn't go under the bridge. I knew that when I was married, your father knows that, and you will very likely know it." He gave another fake sip, only to discover that there was no more fake vodka.

"Enough of this," Rai declared. He threw the bottle off set. "Let's get this marriage under way."

Kyra wrung her hands, confused. "Your Highness, the wedding isn't for another year."

"That was the original plan. But your father just doesn't know how to shut up. The date has been changed to tonight. Your father gets a Princess for a daughter and my son will know what it's like to be with a woman," Rai bluntly said. "Why else would I visit your family's hellhole of fake perfection?"

"But…I…. I don't even know your son! I haven't even seen him yet," Kyra pleaded, hands clasped together.

"You don't need to know him. You just have to serve him!" Rai fake pushed her to the floor as Kyra pretended she was hurt. "Now get ready!" Rai boomed as he left the stage.

The spotlight disappeared as Kyra pretended she was crying and Fuu comfort her.

The struggle manager returned to the stage as the props were being moved.

"So now the Lady Martha has been given the relation of her imprisonment by marriage. As she said, she had never seen nor met Prince Sora beforehand. To be in that position, the idea of entrapment can be sickening. For all she knew he will treat her the same way as his father treated his wife. Could this marriage help these souls find the freedom to forge their own lives or will they fall down in the shadows of their fathers?"

The struggle manager bowed as left the stage.

The spot light returned to the stage. The table and mirror had been replaced by a yellow painted altar. Kyra was walking up and down with an added veil on top of her head.

"What am I do?" She asked, facing the audience.

"If I was given more time, I could have prepared myself better. Or would I be just as nervous?" She brought a hand to her face and bit down on one of her nails.

"What if I can't give him any children? So many people get killed for failing to provide heirs. For their royal partners to see them as a useless tool. The King's own wife was banished. Could that be my future? The chop of exile, or impending death? Oh, why did the fates put me in this position? Why did…" Kyra stopped her character's monologue as Dragon entered the stage.

Kyra froze as did Dragon. Both staring into each other's eyes. Their only companion was the silence that emitted through the stage.

Kyra quickly bowed. "My Prince, I didn't know you would meet me so early."

Dragon waved his hands. "Please, my lady, do not bow."

"Why not, Your Grace? It's custom that a lady bows to one who was sown by royal cloth."

"Yet, before my brother's death, my cloth was more that of some assistant pig keeper's than a king," Dragon responded.

He walked slowly to Kyra and offered her his hand. She in turn took it and rose from the floor. He released her from his grip.

"Now tell me, my Lady, truthfully. Do you want to go ahead with this marriage?" He asked modestly.

Kyra directed her gaze away from Dragon. "I will do what has been asked of me," she answered, hugging her arms.

"And I am asking you, do you want to be my wife?" Dragon asked once more.

Kyra walked behind Dragon as she remembered her lines. "All my life, my father as been grooming me for such an occasion. If not you or your brother than some other future king in Prydain. As a child, the idea of being married to a prince sounded like a fairytale. It wasn't until I got older I understood how much of a fantasy it was."

"If I may speak freely, Your Grace, I do not know you. All I know is due to the method of your birth, I will be mocked and often humiliated by being your wife. Even though I will be your Queen, neither of us will be shown any mercy. We will be judged and branded by people like our fathers." Kyra clenched her fist. "It's not a life I want. A life of being the subject of people's taunts."

Dragon grasped her hands and made her look at him. "Look at me, my Lady."

Kyra looked deep into Dragon's brown eyes. So basic yet so valiant. Was it Dragon who gave her this vibe or was it Sora Llyr?

"I do not know what the future has in store for me or you. So far we are just instruments that have been tasked to play together."

Dragon started to stroke small circles on Kyra's gloved hands with his thumbs."You are right; you don't know me. You are right that association with me will damage your reputation with the other nobles and highborn. I am not a perfect person. I have gambled, drank, lazed around in the castle. I have shown many reasons why I would not be right to be king."

A gulp went down his throat. "I understand perfectly if you are turned off by this. Any sane person would be." He laughed inwardly.

"All I can do for you is give a promise." Kyra's eyes went wide. "I promise that I will be good to you. That I will treat you as a wife, as a Queen. I will not take any mistresses or father any children that are not yours. I will take my duties as crowned prince and future king seriously. If you cannot bear a child for me, I won't rid of you. I will look after you, care for you, be loyal to only you. No matter what temptations or troubles we are given in the future, we will overcome them. You will not be alone. I just ask in return that you trust me, not as your King, but as your husband."

Kyra's face blushed uncontrollably. She felt her heart pound like a stone on the wall. She knew it was a play, that it wasn't Dragon who was saying these words. It was just this idea of someone telling her these types of words felt so alien. For half of her life, she was this warrior sister who traveled worlds to find her family and get revenge on those who wronged her.

Hearing words that were not for her ears made her feel a mixture of emotions. Fear of the unknown, curiosity of wanting to know more, sadness that they came too late, and a desire for them to be true.

Before she could say something, Hayner came out from the back. "My Prince, My Lady, it's time for the ceremony."

Kyra came out of her conflicting thoughts as Dragon took her arm into his. Pence came out from the back and took his place in the middle of the altar. Rai was on the left side while Hayner was on the right side.

Dragon and Kyra took their place in the center of the stage.

Pence coughed a little as he proceeded. "Dearly beloved, we are here to…"

While Pence continued with the made-up ceremony, Dragon and Kyra were in thoughts of their own.

Dragon's thoughts - _"Well this is a story to tell the others back at the Falcon. 'Hey, Roxas, guess which character I played'. We will probably get some laughs from the Sora name. Still this play wasn't so bad. Yeah, the writing was corny but still I had a nice time acting with Kyra. Seeing her for a few seconds like that after that promise speech must have caused a reaction or something. I never saw someone look so red. Though I wish I had that courage Sora had. Who am I kidding? We don't know each other, not really. She has helped me. Golbez, looking for my home world, fighting side by side. She easily became one of my best friends. No one has ever helped me as much as she has. Any idea of us being anything more is just a fantasy. She has a life and so do I. In the end, our paths will diverged. Our goals will change. We will probably loose contact with each other. Still, I'm happy with what I have now."_

Kyra's thoughts- _"How many scenes do I have left in this stupid play? I rather be facing a thousand Darksides than play weepy Martha. Ugh, this play is dumb, really dumb. Would make a terrible movie, yet it would still be better than those idiotic vampire movies. Seriously, how can those be so popular? The dress I'm wearing, thank goodness none of the resistance can see me. They would never let me hear the end of it. It wasn't all bad, though. That speech Dragon gave me. It was…Nice. Eh, I hate this play more now. It's made me think of all these questions. What am I going to do after finding my family? The play made us talk about children and marriage. It never really crossed my mind, now my brain is asking me more and more for an answer. After the mission, what else is there for me to do? More exploring, more helping people? It sounds noble and it also sounds lonely? Do I really want to stay in one place? Do I even want kids? Do I even want to be married? Will I be alone in the future or am I losing a chance to have my own family and not the one I lost? I don't know, I really don't know. Why am I even thinking all this? Sooner this play is over, the better."_

"You may now kiss the bride," Pence finished gleefully.

"WHAT!?" Dragon and Kyra exclaimed, startled.

"You may kiss the bride," Pence repeated.

"Ummmm," Dragon stammered.

"Uhhhhh," Kyra stammered.

Hayner whispered. "Dragon, bro, just fake kiss her, man."

"Um, right, uh..." Dragon slowly turned to face Kyra as she did the same for him. Both were just standing there looking like idiots.

"Kiss her!" Someone from the audience shouted.

"Come on, you two," Olette pleaded from her bench.

Neither of them knew what to do. They could just fake kiss, get their heads in a position where it looked like they were kissing. Would it be enough to fool the audience, though? The idea of them kissing felt so out of place. Could they do it? Would it change their relationship and how it worked? Over the friendzone or under the friendzone, that was the question.

They both bit the back of their lips. The Dragon and the Fox thought the same words in their heads. _'For the mission.'_

They slowly moved forward, their lips getting closer and closer together.

Backstage

Vivi looked onwards from the back of the stage. "Okay." He got out a standard, wooden staff. "They're about to kiss, you need to get the fireworks ready."

He twirled his staff around. "Okay, Fira-aahh!" Vivi screamed, the force of the magic knocking him flat on his back. A fire bolt came out of his staff and set the curtains on fire.

Vivi gasped. "I was going to say Firework, not actual fire. Oh no, oh no no no!"

He ran to the other side of the stage. "Fire! Fire!" he yelled.

It didn't take long for the cast to see the enflamed curtains. Soon the left side of the stage went up in flames.

Hayner grabbed Dragon while Rai grabbed Kyra. Before they could have locked lip, both teens where rushed off the stage. Pence was able to make a run for it with Vivi while Olette was able to get everyone to safety. The Struggle Manager called for the fire brigade.

Gummi Pod (two hours later)

Kyra and Dragon, now changed back into their regular outfits, were on their way back to the Falcon. Dragon had taken the wheel while Kyra kept looking outside the window, both silent.

Dragon could feel a sense of awkwardness in the air. He had to kill it for both their sakes. "So….at least they took down the fire."

Kyra muffled a response.

"I got a text from Pence. The gang's got the all clear from the teachers. They won't get all that detention. The text even said Rai has a chance for a real acting school. Who knew, eh?" Dragon said with a fake cheerfulness in his voice.

"Cool," Kyra muffled again.

"Also, Vivi won't get in trouble, so that's some plus news."

"Just play the disc, Dragon. I want to know if all of that mess was worth it." Dragon complied as he inserted the disc into the controls. Kyra moved over to sit next to him on the large-size driver's seat and squeezed in between him and the armrest.

The screen popped up what looked like layouts for a white castle. Certain areas had been crossed out as if someone was trying to find a treasure and marked out locations they had already been to.

"That's it?!" Kyra exclaimed, throwing her arms up into the air in exasperation. "All this for a stupid treasure map for a stupid castle no one knows about?!"

Dragon examined the map himself. "It's pretty vague, doesn't say what world it belongs to."

Kyra looked some more at the map. "The map is called Project F.V?"

"Who knows? Remember, this map was made by the previous organization. Whatever plans they had back then are probably forgotten now," Dragon suggested.

"Ugh, so it was all for nothing," Kyra answered, slumping in her seat.

"At least we got something. You never know, it could be useful one day," Dragon offered, trying his best to lift her spirits.

Kyra just sighed tiredly. "Just take us back to the Falcon, Dragon." She said sleepily. "And not one word about the play." She yawned. "Got it?"

"Sure, Kyra. Uh, Kyra?" Kyra had fallen asleep, but she didn't realize her head was resting on Dragon's shoulder. It wasn't long before her arms were hugging his chest for support as she slept.

Dragon simply smiled at the archer. He kept on driving. Their trek back to the Falcon wouldn't be long, though a small part of him wished it was. He wanted to preserved this moment, having this strange, headstrong young woman holding him close. Feeling the archer's warmth made Dragon feel something he rarely did feel. A lightness in his chest that was soaring like a sparrow's wings.

He felt happy.

 **The End**

 **I really want to thank Mysterygirl for allowing me to use her oc and proofreading this fic and Prismrain13 for her permission to write this story. They are both great writers I would recommend any of their fics.**

 **The reason I wanted to write this fic was because of Final Fantasy 9. Such as amazing game. Character development, imagination and the song melodies of life. When I heard that song mixed with the ending just made me so happy like I could understand everything in a positive light. If you ever have a chance listen to it.**

 **Cast List**

 **OC's = Dragon, Kyra, (Sora Lyir, King Duncan, Martha Krew, Prince Franz) 'They are Princess Elowny's ancestors that I made up'. Rodrick.**

 **Kingdom Hearts = Hayner, Pence, Olette, Struggle Manager (The guy who stopped the fight between Sora and Seifer and informed them about struggle matches.)**

 **Final Fantasy 8 = Seifer, Rai and Fuu**

 **Final Fantasy 9 = Vivi**


End file.
